USS Catoctin (AGC-5) was an Appalachian-class amphibious force flagship in the United States Navy during World War II. She was named for Catoctin Mountain. Commissioning and 1944 Catocin was launched as SS Mary Whitridge 23 January 1943 by Moore Dry Dock Company, Oakland, California, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Miss A. H. Morton; acquired by the Navy 31 August 1943; and commissioned as Catoctin the same day. Between 14 September and 11 October 1943, Catoctin sailed from Long Beach, California, to Philadelphia, where she was decommissioned upon arrival. Converted to a combined operations and communications headquarters ship, Catoctin was recommissioned 24 January 1944 and reported to Atlantic Fleet. Shakedown complete, Catoctin cleared Norfolk 5 March 1944 for Algiers, where she reported on 19 March as flagship for Commander, 8th Fleet. She remained at Algiers and later Oran until 8 July, when she sailed to Naples, Italy. On 24 July, at Naples, King George VI of the United Kingdom visited on board the ship. For several months, Catoctin had been headquarters for the planning of the Invasion of Southern France, and on 13 August, she sailed from Naples for the assault, carrying Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal, and the commanders of the 7th Army, VI Corps, 12th Air Force, and French Naval Forces. At early dawn of 15 August 1944, Catoctin arrived in position off the assault beaches, and began her historic role as heart of one of the most painstakingly planned, carefully coordinated, and magnificently executed amphibious assaults of the war. From her antennas flashed the commands which controlled the activities of thousands of men, in ships, landing craft, and airplanes, ashore, afloat, and aloft. On 18 August, 6 of her crew were killed and 31 wounded by exploding shrapnel during a German air raid. Arriving at Toulon 9 September, Catoctin greeted the return to France of the French fleet and General Charles de Gaulle on 15 September. On 25 September, she cleared Toulon for Naples, her base for the remainder of the year. 1945 Catoctin left Naples 15 January 1945, and after a brief repair period at Palermo, Sicily, sailed to Sevastopol, Russia. Arriving 26 January, she served as communications ship and as headquarters for the advance party planning the Yalta Conference. Her crew operated transportation, canteen, hospital, and dental facilities ashore, and in cooperation with other Allied facilities, operated an air-sea rescue net. On 11